Weekend tech reading: Samsung unveils solar-powered phone

Samsung unveils solar-powered "Blue Earth" phone Billed as the world's first solar-powered touchscreen handset, the Blue Earth—like the recent Motorola Renew—is built out of recycled water bottles, and even boasts a pedometer that tracks how many trees you've saved by walking rather than driving. Yahoo Tech.

The Downfall of Plasma? Tech historians may point to February 12, 2009 as the official fall of the plasma empire—even though new models have just been announced. That’s the day that Pioneer—arguable the maker of the best plasmas ever—announced its complete exit from the TV business and that Vizio—the number-three plasma retailer in the US—gave up on the tech in favor of LCD. PopSci.

Canadian judge: No warrant needed to see ISP logs A Superior Court in Ontario, Canada has ruled that IP addresses are akin to your home address, and therefore people have no expectation of privacy when it comes to their online activities being accessed by law enforcement. This means that, in Canada, police can potentially request information from your ISP about online activities, and can do so without a warrant. Ars Technica.

US Stimulus Package Includes Tech Provisions A stimulus package expected to be approved by the U.S. Congress as soon as Friday includes tens of billions of spending on tech-related projects. The latest cost estimate of the bill is US$787 billion, down slightly from earlier estimates. PC World.

Twitter Nabs $35 Million in New Funding And you thought the days of raising money without a business model were over. Twitter has landed a reported $35 million in additional venture funding, despite the fact it still lacks a business model. The funding values the company at $250 million, according to news reports. AdAge.

Offtopic: Pace of Climate Change Exceeds Estimates The pace of global warming is likely to be much faster than recent predictions, because industrial greenhouse gas emissions have increased more quickly than expected and higher temperatures are triggering self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms in global ecosystems, scientists said Saturday. The Washington Post.